Calcium-Ion Removal from Peat by a Mechanical Filter Cake Washing Process

This contribution aims to bridge two different fields of science, viz., geoecology and mechanical process engineering. The study reports on the application of mechanical washing processes especially filter cake washing, on calcium-ion removal from peat, which is a natural material that is used in different fields of application such as agriculture, medicine, cosmetics, etc. The interesting properties of peat such as its porous structure and the sorption behavior influence the distribution of liquid inside the bulk and the liquid flow behavior through the porous structure. Experimental results are obtained from filtration tests using differential gas pressure in a filter nutsche. The washing efficiency is determined for different pressures and specific amounts of applied wash liquor. It is found that the water repellent phenomena that occurs when peat has been dried, affects the washing efficiency in a very negative way. The results obtained are compared to the conventional filter cake washing process.